Customer Reviews

A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The beauty of Ernest Zebrowski's book, A HISTORY OF THE CIRCLE, is that it was written for everyone, not just for science professors. The author never talks down to his readers. Clearly, Mr. Zebrowski is not just a superb scientist and mathematician: he is also a skilled writer, teacher, philospher, and historian. Like Lewis Thomas, he has a wonderful way of making science come alive. He transports you back into time and makes you feel as if you are right there watching some of the most intriging moments in human history unfold before your eyes. I learned so much from reading this book. You can pick up any chapter at random and find yourself captivated by a fascinating anecdote, a compelling biographical sketch, a thought-provoking question, or a delightful little tidbit of information. The author made me think about things I have never thought about before. Reading this book has given me a newfound appreciation for the importance of the circle as well as a newfound respect for the truly remarkable feats of our early scientists, mathematicians, and architects. So whether you're learning about the life of Albert Einstein or the death of Archimedes; whether you're trying to figure out why old fenceposts were deliberately spaced 9.417 feet apart or how how the ancient Egyptians could have possibly managed to erect thousands of 20-ton blocks 48 stories high; or whether you are discovering that an experienced hunter is often smarter than a computer or that terrified peasants rioted when the Gregorian calendar was adopted because they believed that the pope was actually stealing 10 days of their lives...you will enjoy reading, or even just skimming, A HISTORY OF THE CIRCLE. This book will change the way you look at nature: you will see things you never saw before. It might even change the way you look at yourself. I was delighted to discover, for example, that I was made of stardust, but I must say it was a bit unsettling to learn that I am now a tad older than the sun which, according to Mr. Zebrowski, is "barely middle-aged."

What a delightful discovery! This book served to effortlessly broaden my knowledge about applied mathematics. I have to recommend this book to all - and especially towards those, like myself, who are frustrated with our own mathematical ignorance... I am a bit of a compulsive book buyer and I don't always make an effort to read each book in my huge collection. I'm very happy I made the time to thoroughly read this one!

The first chapter BREIFLY addresses pi, so this not a good source for those of you that may have drawn the same conclusions about the title that I did. However, if you've ever wondered why there are 360 degrees in a circle and how that relates to time or other interesting trivia, this is a great source. I do recomend it to anyone with an intrest in the basic concepts of Physics which somehow work themseves in everywhere. The title would be more acurate if it removed "A History of the Circle" and just left it with "Mathmatical Reasoning and the Physical Universe" because it lacks far to much of the first subject.

This is not a text book, but an fun read that discusses
interesting topics from physics and math.
It explains things so well that I wish I had Zebrowski as a professor or could find textbooks written by him.
I think the lengthy first review below as well as examples from the other reviews give a good idea of the contents of this book.
It's a joy to read, and to use when explaining things correctly to others.

An interesting read which could have benefited from the
attention of a diligent editor. Sadly, historical details
are often muddled and in the later chapters the author
indulges in some freewheeling speculation regarding high
energy physics while quoting undergraduate level journals
as sources.
Nevertheless, all of the subject matter and most of the
text is well worth a look.